Monday, September 7, 2015

Found New Coffeehouse

Friday was a good day. First, I pulled the day as vacation. I had pulled our camper down to the lake and set up camp for the Labor Day holiday. Wilma will join me in the evening after her workday is over. On my own for the day I decide to check out a coffeehouse I heard about at a recent Lawrence sketch crawl. Wilma gets tired of my coffeehouses so I grab the chance to go stag when I can.

A web search tells me of a coffeeshop called Decade. It intrigues me. One review bashed it because, even though the coffee is great, they don't have WiFi and predicted they won't be able to compete with the other shops. Well, the owner said he doesn't allow WiFi because you come to a local coffeeshop to talk with your neighbors, not stick you head in your digital device and surf the web. I like him.

I tried to find the store a few weeks ago and failed. The east part of Lawrence is a quiet and very old part of town. Parts are run down. The businesses are mostly commercial, not retail. One review explained the area is undergoing gentrification. I found one old warehouse that has been restored beautifully for apartments. More web searching and I find the address of Decade. They don't have a large gaudy sign, probably by choice. I go in and fall in love. It's very clean yet eclectic. The furniture is all original, usually using nice wood with artistic vision.

So I order my latte and have a seat to sketch for a while. People in and out with foot traffic increasing as noon approaches. College students. Families. Singles. It's a real mix, like any neighborhood would be. I finish up to get back to camp. I'll be back.

I had my Pilot Falcon fountain pen fired up with Noodler's Lexington Gray. Love that pen. Then follow up with watercolor pencils and waterbrush.
I want a fast sketch so I don't use pencil for layout.

Lovely sketch and sentiments, John. I have friends in Lawrence that I hope to visit one day (it's a long trip from Northern California). I'm going to tell/ask them about Decade. It sounds like their kind of place.

About Me

Well, the kids have flown the nest and the wife and I get to relax a little. Sketch journaling struck my fancy so that's what I'm doing. Give me a sketchbook, pens, water brush and WC pencils and I'm a happy guy.